Charged Impurity-Scattering-Limited Low-Temperature Resistivity of Low-Density Silicon Inversion Layers

Abstract

We calculate within the Boltzmann equation approach the charged impurity-scattering-limited low-temperature electronic resistivity of low-density $n$-type inversion layers in Si MOSFET structures. We find a rather sharp quantum to classical crossover in the transport behavior in the $0–5\mathrm{K}$ temperature range, with the low-density, low-temperature mobility showing a strikingly strong nonmonotonic temperature dependence, which may qualitatively explain the recently observed anomalously strong temperature dependent resistivity in low-density, high-mobility MOSFETs.